Page 25 of City of Love

Which had to be impossible.

Julian snapped his fingers in front of Gideon’s face. “Cousin. Care to rejoin me in conversation?”

“What? Oh, sorry.” He set his coffee mug back onto the time-worn wood table, absentmindedly lining it up with a matching ring stain that had likely been there for a century. “I seem to have an unexpected guest muddling around in my brain right now.”

Julian paused, a forkful of omelet halfway to his mouth. “What on God’s green earth—either of them—are you talking about?”

Gideon filled him in on the distracting thoughts he’d been having—and sensing, smelling, hearing—of meditation, white cats, and, well, food.

His cousin pushed his empty plate away, reaching for the cigar in his pocket. “So what? You’ve been filling your face with ridiculous quantities for the last hour, you meditate every day, and you’re fond of animals. What makes you think it’s not just your own wandering mind?”

At first Gideon had thought the same. That he was merely over-tired and unfocused. But in the last few minutes it had become clear that these images were not his own. At least not entirely. Ms. Cross was somehow broadcasting her thoughts, which mixed with his own, making it difficult to know if an idea was coming from him or her.

The experience was much more confused and mixed up than it had been the night before, no doubt a result of their being so far apart—a literal universe apart—on this occasion. This time the content got jumbled in the transmission. Whose breakfast? Whose confusion? Whose… zap of heat to the groin? But it was clear enough.

“I’m quite positive it’s not simply my own random musings. This was a specific white cat with a blue collar. Strangely packaged food in one of World Two’s electric ice boxes. And,” his cheeks warmed, and he scanned the tavern rather than meet his cousin’s eyes, “those were clearly not my legs folded under me in meditation. Far too shapely and smooth.”

Julian slowly formed a grin around his ever-present cigar. “Ah, your intriguing brunette from last night.” He pulled the still unlit smoke from his mouth. “You literally can’t get her out of your mind.” Julian’s deep belly laugh attracted the attention of other patrons, and Gideon noticed the women’s gazes lingering on him well after the echoes of his outburst faded and his expression grew serious. “I never thought it possible to connect telepathically across dimensions.”

“Neither did I. I’ve never heard of it happening. Perhaps I’m wrong and there’s another explanation. I should look into—”

“Stop with the rationalizations, cousin. Between what you experienced last night and now this morning, you’ve clearly got some kind of powerful connection with her. And she’s obviously a mighty strong psychic. I have to say, I’m envious.”

“I don’t know if it’s anything to be envious about,” Gideon grumbled. “It’s damn distracting.”

“But what a damn fine distraction it is.” He spoke this more to their server, who’d stepped up at that moment with the bill. He winked at her, and she smiled in return, her eyes roaming his cousin’s powerful physique and the long Viking-style braids women always fawned over. Julian’s own gaze lingered a little too long over the woman’s backside as she turned and walked away from them.

Gideon leaned back in his chair. “You’ve never failed to have all the female attention you could possibly want.”

Julian’s eyes lit up as a smile spread across his face. “But I’ve yet to find the one, and that’s what I seek. The woman meant for me and me alone. And I the only one for her. She’s out there somewhere, and I won’t settle for less.”

Gideon took a swig of coffee, silence his only response to his cousin’s ideals of romance. Not because he didn’t believe there might be an amazing woman out there, his perfect partner to share a life with. Rather, he’d already learned well just how easily tragedy could sneak up, lying in wait around a random street corner, taking your loved one and leaving you with decades of pain. Intellectual pursuits were a far safer bet than emotional ones.

“Your visions of romance are a lovely fairytale, but all I’m feeling at the moment is a split personality happening in my brain, which is damned inconvenient.”

Julian shrugged. “Next time you see her, you might want to teach her how to block the bleed-over. I doubt she has any idea that it’s happening, let alone how to prevent it.”

“Not sure when I would teach her. After last night, and until I’m given permission to close the portal, I plan to be quite strict about who’s allowed to cross. As few as possible. And I don’t see any reason for her to be back.” A wave of empathy speared his chest. “I can send her some of our world’s books on precognition and telepathy.”

“Send her some books? My big delectable round arse, you’ll send her some books.” This earned a few giggles from the young ladies seated at the next table. “Cousin, you’re telepathically connecting across dimensions. She’s your girl. At some point you’ll be begging to bring her back. Time will prove me right.” Julian leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and smiled like a joker. “This is going to be outstanding to watch.”

Gideon curled his lip in defiance, but while they gathered their things to leave, Julian whistled and hummed, and the energy vibrations of his cousin’s psychic skill, his voice, soothed his mood. Like Alana, Julian’s talent could calm any savage beast—human or otherwise—and by the time they mounted their horses, Gideon was chuckling instead of grumbling. Finding, perhaps, a bit more delight than annoyance at the idea of the lovely visitor in his mind.

After riding home, tending to and stabling his horse, he walked the last couple blocks from the mews to his home—a three-story colonial brick townhouse. Tugging off his boots, he made his way barefoot to the kitchen where he put the kettle on for tea as he tried to reason out what had happened during breakfast.

Although no one ever reported being able to communicate telepathically to World Two, clearly it was possible. Lexi had been meditating at one point this morning. Maybe it just took some extra effort and a calm mental state. It didn’t hurt that she was psychic. He had to see if the full connection was possible. The scientific ramifications would be incredible, and he could teach her to block her thoughts, too, so he wouldn’t be walking around his world in a state of confusion.

Sinking into the most comfortable overstuffed chair he had, mug of tea in hand, he closed his eyes, wondering if he could clear his mind and concentrate hard enough to…

“Miss Cross, can you hear me?” He immediately felt her response. Not in words, but in her surprise. She pulled her mind back from him a moment, but then she relaxed. “Lexi, just think the words. Talk to me as if I were right in front of you.”

“Gideon?” It was faint, but it was there.

“Yes, it’s me. That’s it. Just talk. Don’t overthink it.”

He sensed her struggle and then…

“Holy crap!” she said. “I’m doing it! I’m talking to you!”

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